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Stages Of Community

Friday, August 10, 2007

According to M. Scott Peck, here are the stages of community:
  1. Pseudo-community - An initial state of "being nice". Pseudo-community is characterized by politeness, conflict avoidance, and denial of individual differences. Let's be honest - most of us can't keep this up for long. Eventually someone is going to speak up, speak out, and the dam breaks.
  2. Chaos - In the stage of chaos, individual differences are aired, and the group tries to overcome them through misguided attempts to heal or to convert. Listening suffers, and emotions and frustration tend to run high. There are only two ways out of chaos: retreat into pseudo-community [often through organization], or forward, through emptiness.
  3. Emptiness - Emptiness refers to the process of recognizing and releasing the barriers [expectations, prejudices, the need to control] that hold us back from authentic communication with others, from being emotionally available to hear the voices of those around us. This is a period of going within, of searching ourselves and sharing our truths with the group. This process of "dying to the self" can make way for something remarkable to emerge.
  4. Community - "In my defenselessness, my safety lies." In this stage, individuals accept others as they are, and are themselves accepted. Differences are no longer feared or ignored, but rather are celebrated. A deep sense of peace and joy characterizes the group.
Everyone's experience of these is obviously unique. Where are you according to these stages? Where do you see your network/church/community according to these stages?

"In and through community lies the salvation of the world."
--- M. Scott Peck [The Different Drum]

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  1. Anonymous Jamie Arpin-Ricci said:
    9:38 AM  

    I have studied, experimented and practiced some these ideas in our own community here. One thing I learned is that these stages generally stand true and generally repeat themselves. As we often have shorter term community with some folks (Peck was a strong advocate that it is possible), we see this cycle repeated more regularly than other contexts.

    I agree with Mike Frost, however, that Peck lacked a missional dynamic in his understanding. I have seen many communities develop around these concepts without some missional expression, but then fade or become internalized without it.

    I wrote a post on my blog some time ago looking at how I see these dynamics play out. I'd love to hear your take on it:

    http://emergentvoyageurs.blog.com/585790/

    Peace,
    Jamie

  1. Anonymous Anonymous said:
    10:35 AM  

    I don't see the dealing of God's truth in any of those stages, so I don't see myself or church in any of those stages. How about you Pernell, where do you see the Freeway in there, which stage?

    I'd be interested in knowing from you at what point do you start telling people the truth, as in, the truth about God?

    In the emptiness stage you go through the sharing of "our truths" when does the sharing of God's truth take place?

    George

  1. Blogger Pernell said:
    12:05 AM  

    George - This is not a post about "sharing God's truth" nor is it a chat room for you to come with an agenda and debate whatever issue you think you have with me. It is my personal blog and this a post about stages of community. Let's leave it at that.

  1. Anonymous Anonymous said:
    4:00 PM  

    "Where are you according to these stages? Where do you see your network/church/community according to these stages?"

    Those were your questions at the end of the post.

    I responded to those questions. I didn't see where in those stages, truth came into play so I was curious about that. Its a question I'm always interested in asking to those in the emerging church - when exactly do you get around to telling people the truth?

    That's all, no agenda, just questions.

    George

  1. Blogger Beth said:
    7:24 AM  

    I wonder if some of us are so ingrained in the hierarchical approach, and due to our own anxiety about relationships, we prefer to speak (preach) rather than listen.
    If we can keep talking, we don't have to sit in silence.
    It says much more about us than it does about any message we may carry.

  1. Blogger Len Hjalmarson said:
    3:14 PM  

    Pernell, hope your time off is re-creative of your spirit and family. Recently ran across Kester Brewin's use (not unrelated to the article series by Alan Jamieson a few years ago) of these stages, which he relates to emergence. Interesting. My own take I tried to pull other threads together.. here..
    http://nextreformation.com/wp-admin/general/maps.htm

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